Lankan innovator wins worldwide Fonterra CEO's award

Senior Engineering Assistant, Fonterra Brands Lanka, Asanka Ranathunga 36, won the 2008 CEO Award from the worldwide parent company, Fonterra.

The Fonterra Global CEO Award brings with it not only honour and recognition, it demonstrates in no uncertain terms a high level of innovative skills that has commanded the respect and attention by outshining in a very competitive arena.

Fonterra Brands Lanka innovation program inspire all its employees to engage in business activities and the best ideas are escalated to the global CEO awards. Ranathunga became one of the six winners within the Fonterra global net work and received a handsome cash reward which he could spend on personal or professional development. Some splurge it on a course of scuba diving off Australia or a wild life expedition to Africa. Asanka's choice is to upgrade his mechanical drawing skills by following an advanced course on AutoCAD (Computer Aided Design) software application.

Asanka Ranathunga

Ranatunga a product of Deliwala Central College, Rambukkana, was 'Energised by Innovation' - the criteria for being recommended for the award - while Fonterra Brands Lanka managers were mulling over the arduous task of developing a new product that would appeal to the taste and nutritional needs of Sri Lankan children. The product development strategy planned out was to launch a fruit-layered yoghurt to strengthen the Anchor Newdale brand. Getting down new machinery would have incurred the team NZ$ 10,800. Asanka put his thinking cap on and developed a machine fabricated entirely of locally sourced material that enabled his project team to produce the set yoghurt layered with locally grown fruits.

More importantly, it was implemented on time! It was a victory that was appreciated and celebrated throughout the company.

Asanka commutes from Gampaha where he lives with his wife Chandrika Damayanthi, son aged 5 years and one-month-old baby daughter and has been working at the Fonterra Brands Lanka dairy factory for 11 years.

"To lead in dairy we need much more than the best milk, the best equipment and the best products. We also need the best people. The CEO Awards are a unique opportunity to acknowledge the role our colleagues play in Fonterra's success. Every year Fonterra recognises employees who have gone the extra mile; those who are focused on the future, work with complete integrity, delivering uncompromised results" said Chief Executive Officer of Fonterra Andrew Ferrier, congratulating the winners. "It's often hard to compare achievements across different markets and roles and we want to celebrate success right across the organisation."

Over the years, Fonterra Brands Lanka has been motivating all employees across the board to be innovative by having a robust innovation programme which has inculcated employees to embrace innovation as an integral part of the company's corporate culture.